1. Key Points from Video

2. Mein Kampf The great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one. I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord. The art of leadership... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.... The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.

3. Rise to Power Hitler’s rise to power ✓ Hitler served about 1 year of his 5-year prison sentence ✓ Hitler rebuilt the Nazi party in the years between 1925 and 1929 ✓ The Great Depression (began 1929) provided an opportunity for Hitler and the Nazi’s to grow in popularity - unemployment rose to almost 30% by 1932 - Hitler was known for making charismatic and ultra-nationalistic speeches during the Great Depression - Nazi party membership grew ✓ Hitler ran for President of Weimar Germany in 1932, but lost to the aging war hero (and incumbent) Paul von Hindenburg ✓ Chancellor: Hitler invited to serve as chancellor (prime minister) by the Hindenburg government (30 January 1933

4. Consolidation Hitler’s consolidation of power ✓ In order to become a totalitarian fascist dictator, Hitler had to eliminate opposition from 4 main groups - parliamentary democracy (the Weimar German government itself) - communists (who, too, were gaining support as the Great Depression dragged on) - the German military establishment (who liked Hitler’s idea of rearming Germany, but were concerned about Hitler’s personal army, the SA) - President Hindenburg (the old war hero who was the current president of Weimar Germany)

5. Consolidation Hitler’s consolidation of power (cont’d) ✓ Reichstag Fire (1933) -Hitler’s henchmen set fire to the German parliament building (the Reichstag) and then blamed the communist party - German Reichstag was persuaded by Hitler to give Hitler emergency decree powers to deal with communists (the Nazisargued they posed a threat to Germany’s national security) ‣ Reichstag Fire Decree (1934) ‣ Enabling Act (1934) - communists across Germany were arrested and imprisoned; many non-communists who were perceived threats were, likewise, arrested - result: opposition from parliamentary democracy and communists was eliminated

6. Consolidation Hitler’s consolidation of power (cont’d) ✓ German military threw support behind Hitler - German generals liked Hitler’s plans to disregard the Treaty of Versailles and rebuild the German military (wehrmacht, navy and luftwaffe) - German generals felt threatened by competition from Hitler’s personal army, the SA - Hitler agreed to destroy the SA in exchange for support from the German generals - Night of the Long Knives (1934): Hitler’s henchmen arrested/murdered many of the leading members of the SA (including SA leader Ernst Röhm), destroying the SA ✓ Hindenburg died of natural causes, 1934

7. Anti-Semitism Hitler’s Anti-Semitism in the 1930s ✓ Nuremberg Laws (1935) - denied Jews German citizenship (Jews became subjects of the state) - prohibited marriage and extra-marital intercourse between Jews and Germans - Jews were forbidden to display the German flag or symbols - Jews prevented from farming, teaching, journalism, and from being on film and radio (later law and medicine were banned as jobs for Jews) ✓ Jews made to wear yellow stars for identification ✓ Crystal Night (Kristallanacht) : Nazi attacks on Jewish synagogues, homes and businesses in 1938

8. Triumph of the Will “Triumph of the Will” (1935) ✓ Nazi propaganda film directed by Leni Reifenstahl, a German actress turned filmmaker ✓ portrays the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, Germany ✓ themes - led by Adolf Hitler, Germany has rebuilt itself and resumed its place as a great power in Europe - Hitler is god-like in his leadership and the German citizens worship the Nazi state in a religious-like fashion - Germans are united behind the Nazi Party and Hitler’s vision of Germany

9. Triumph of the Will “Triumph of the Will” (cont’d) ✓ techniques - use of aerial photography - Hitler filmed from low angles to give the perception of a towering, inspiring figure - Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect, designed the set to make Germany appear strong, powerful and unified ✓ highlights - the shadow from Hitler’s plane forms a cross-like shape on the ground - some of the music of Richard Wagner (1818-83), a German composer, was used in the film - Nazi party members marching in torchlit formations - employs large symbols of the Nazi movement, such as swastikas and eagles